An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium by various methods including electrophotography. The image formed by the image forming unit is thermally fixed while the recording medium is being transported by a fixing unit including a heating roller. Patent Document 1 discloses a first configuration for the image forming apparatus, in which when a jam occurs, a motor is rotated in a reverse direction to move a planetary gear so as to cut off the transmission of driving force from the motor to the heating roller for free rotation of the heating roller. This makes it possible to easily take out a jammed recording medium even when a jam occurs at the heating roller.
When the heating roller is heated to a high temperature, it is dangerous to touch the heating roller with the hand carelessly. Patent Document 2 proposes a second configuration for an image forming apparatus, in which the opening and closing of a housing cover is restricted while the interior of the image forming apparatus remains high in temperature.
Patent Document 1:JP-A-216747
Patent Document 2:JP-A-2002-14556
However, in the event that the first configuration and the second configuration are provided separately to the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus becomes complex, which increases the production costs thereof.